MARCH
13, 2007 | SAN FRANCISCO Is
there anything better on a hot day than a scoop of salted caramel
ice cream (with a little chocolate too) from Bi-Rite
Creamery? Like, meow. (Although I hear the
banana split is pretty sick as well.) Did you know you can actually
ask for a single scoop with two flavors? My friend turned me on
it to it, brilliant! (And Bi-Rite is now hating me.) Lord knows
it’s hard enough deciding on one flavor at that place.

And
this Saturday, oh dear. Or should I say O’Dear? Here’s wishing
you a Happy St. Paddy’s Day. Consider yourself pinched.

MARCH 13, 2007 | SAN FRANCISCO So
the big buzz on the circuit is whether ~ROBBIE LEWIS~,
formerly the executive chef at Jardinière, is the new executive
chef at bacar. While he has been in the bacar kitchen since this
past weekend, Lewis is still very much “in play.” A
potential bacar contract is being discussed, but he actually has
four or five other options in the mix, from consulting gigs to
longer-term contracts. Stand by for news about when the ink is
actually dry, whatever, wherever, and whenever that may be.

Another
SOMA venue is making some changes: ~ROE~
is closing in mid-April, and will relaunch on May 1st with a
new look and chef. Leading the kitchen will be Thai Tran, formerly
a line cook at Boulevard and Ame. She’ll
be steering the Southeast Asian menu, and adding some Vietnamese
flair when the restaurant reopens. Margaret “Peg” O’Brien
from Los Angeles will be redesigning the restaurant—she is
behind LA projects like Minx, Republic, and Garden of Eden. The
new look will be sleeker—more graphite and pearl, replacing
the primary colors, gold, and animal prints. (Rawr.) Roe will reopen
for dinner Tue.-Fri 5pm-10pm, Sat. 6pm-10pm (nightclub hours are
a different animal), 651 Howard St. at Hawthorne Lane, 415-227-0288.

Over
in North Beach, “the sisters” (Silvia and Christina
Santucci) have sold ~STELLA
PASTRY & CAFÉ~ (one is expecting a baby,
and the other is potentially moving away). Stella has been around
since 1942, and with the Santucci family since 1966. But fear not;
the new owners are Susan Flaherty and Dino Belluomini of Victoria
Pastry, literally just a few blocks away. Plans are to keep
Stella as is (they appreciate the classically San Franciscan bohemian
atmosphere of the bakery, and know it’s
a different clientele than Victoria’s), so it’s not
going to become “Victoria
Pastry #2.” In fact, Dino used to bake at Stella—it
was his first job, so he has a special soft spot for it. And the
current baker at Stella, who has been turning out all the biscotti
and cannoli and sfogliatelle and famous sacripantina for the past
ten years will remain. Bene. The one change will be the potential
to start ordering pastry treats through the Victoria Pastry website,
soon. 446 Columbus Ave. at Vallejo St., 415 986-2914.

After
making some concept changes, ~MEDICINE
EATSTATION~ will
be reopening next Monday, March 19, with bento boxes and seafood
being added to the originally vegetarian-focused menu. The space
will be streamlined for quick-service eat-in or take-out (you
can even order lunch ahead of time on the website). There will
also be a five-seat noodle bar. New hours will be for lunch only,
Mon-Fri, 11am-3pm; take-out will still be available from 3pm-6pm.
Another change: almost 100% of the ingredients will be now be
organic.

The dining room area is also being altered, with one portion used
for Eatstation, while the remainder of the space will morph into Medicine-Ryori in
mid-October, offering elegant kaiseki cuisine for dinner. Co-Executive
Chefs Ryuta Sakamoto and Bryan Waites are designing the multi-course
kaiseki menu. The dining room will have 25 seats, plus a lounge,
a five-seat chef’s bar, and a 14-seat private dining room.
Janet Crane of San Francisco’s Freebairn-Smith & Crane,
the original green architect and interior designer for the restaurant,
is leading the remodel. 181 Sutter St., Crocker Galleria, 415-677-4405.

Over in the Castro, ~HARVEY’S~ has temporarily
closed due to some drainage issues. The construction should be
complete by the end of the month. 500 Castro St. at 18th St., 415-431-4278.

And
what is rapidly becoming a seemingly cursed location, ~LIKEWISE
CAFÉ~ has closed after a brief stint (formerly
ZigZag café) just down the street. Next?! 476 Castro St.
at 17th St., 415-863-2725.

Okay,
now for a rather racy tidbit. (Mom and Dad, stop reading right
now.) Not sure if many of you are aware of what’s going
on this Wednesday, but let’s just say while the ladies have
Valentine’s Day, there’s a micro-movement afoot for
men to make March 14th all theirs. What exactly does that look
like? Well, how about ~STEAK AND BJ DAY~? (Sounds
about par for the course.) Google away—there are a number
of sites to choose from—it’s real. I even received
a “tip please” request for where to go this Wednesday
for steak. Since I like to enable people to get what they are looking
for (meal-wise, ahem), here are my top picks for some killer steak
around town that are just right for the “occasion.” (I
really can’t
help you with the second part—that’s up to you to sort
out.) I would love a restaurant to offer a special next year, can
you imagine?

1-larkcreeksteak—I
can’t stop thinking about the last steak I had here. Just
thinking about it elicits seriously primal steak cravings. My top
pick for some beauteous beef.

2-Harris’ Restaurant
is a classic. Think large booth, martini with a little extra chilling
in a mini barrel, and a behemoth 21-day dry-aged steak. Yes, it’s
Midwestern, and corn-fed. And it’s not cheap. Oh, and don’t
let the terrifying voice/website video scare you like it did me
when the page loads. (You can’t turn it off. Like, annoying!)

3-Okay,
the interior does far from thrill me. (I recall some scary clown
hanging above the door.) And it’s on Lombard Street,
not exactly a boulevard to inspire culinary hope. But damn, the
steaks at Boboquivari’s/Bobo’s are really top-notch. Also corn-fed and dry-aged. Like buttah.
Goes to show that whole book/cover thing.

4-For
a more atmospheric vibe, the steak and frites at both South
Park Café and Florio
totally rock me. Oh, Delfina
does a gorg flatiron and fries too.

5-Hey,
why not go totally old school and hit Original
Joe’s
in the TL? This joint has been keeping it real since 1937: they
have the longest running mesquite grill in San Francisco, the meat
is butchered in-house, and is basically too legit to quit. Cocktail,
booth, beef: check, check, check. Your man will totally feel like
the Mack.

6-Oh,
and those craving some quality grass-fed options, there’s
the delicious Acme
Chophouse
or you can go the South American route and hit up El
Raigon
for some Uruguayan beef and lusty Malbec. (Don’t miss the
sweetbreads either.)

Since
we’re on steaks (that other part
of the topic is now closed), ~SEASONS
RESTAURANT~ at the Four Seasons is relaunching
as Seasons Steak & Seafood,
a refined steakhouse concept. The idea is to make the restaurant
more approachable and comfortable, so there is a new wine list,
new uniforms, a new approach to service, and no tablecloths. Well.
And when you order steak or seafood from the grill, Chef Jeremy
Emmerson is stepping away from the classic (and fat-laden) sides
of scalloped potatoes and creamed spinach, and instead will offer
roasted fingerling potatoes and local and organic ingredients like
Swiss chard, fennel and mushroom gratin, and baked Iacopi butter
beans. There will also be a Surf N’ Turf tasting menu, a
three-part tasting menu that will offer diners two smaller portions
of complementary dishes, all paired with 3 oz. pours of wine. Combos
will include dishes like Tuna Tartare ‘n’ Beef Tartare
followed by Maine Lobster ‘n’ Milk-Fed Veal Chop, with
Grayson Cheese ‘n’ Profiteroles. The impetus for all
these changes is Chef Emmerson’s leaner physique—he
was previously cutting a bigger figure, and his revised eating
habits are reflected in the new menu. (I should talk to him…)
It’s not totally healthy per se, but not pure steakhouse
evil either. 757 Market St., Four Seasons Hotel, 415-633-3838.

A couple changes around town: ~R&G
LOUNGE~ has closed for remodeling until
March 27, and will reopen on March 28. (You can get your salt and
pepper crab at Lichee
Garden in the meantime.)

And Tenderloin favorite, ~SULTAN~,
will be moving into new digs just around the corner at some point
this summer, just across from the Hilton. The restaurant will
be almost doubling in size, from 50 to 85-90 seats. Sultan has
been in its current location for almost five years, but is looking
forward to creating a more contemporary space that will also
be able to accommodate larger groups. They also plan on tweaking
the menu, introducing some new dishes that reflect some of the
dining innovations and trends happening in India. New location
will be 340 O’Farrell
St. between Taylor and Mason.

A significant loss in the wine world: ~ERNEST GALLO~passed
away
last week at the ripe age of 97.

Check
it out: starting in May, a ~BATTLE OF THE CHEFS SERIES~ is launching at the Macy’s Cellar. (Watch those knives!) Two local
chefs will compete, whipping up their best dish with the featured
ingredient, with room for fifty spectators to watch. There will
be three judges and Marisa Churchill, from Bravo’s Top Chef
and the former executive pastry chef for Restaurant LuLu and Ame,
will be providing the “chop by chop” commentary. Admission
to each Battle of the Chefs event will be $10 and includes food
samples, a recipe card, and a $10 Macy’s gift card. The bell
sounds at 6:30pm on fight nights and space is limited. Visit the
site for
more info. Here’s the line-up:

Monday – June 18th, 2007: “New
York, New York”Erik Hopfinger (CIRCA) vs. Noah Tucker (Brick)
Executive Chef Hopfinger pits his innovative American classics against
Executive Chef Tucker’s internationally influenced style in
this battle of chefs who previously worked in top New York kitchens.

Attention
industry folk: are you familiar with the incredible edibles from
the local businesses that comprise ~LA
COCINA~?
If you have a café, a store, a bar,
a restaurant, a winery, or you are a distributor, you really should
come on by to the ExpoCocina this Wednesday. It’s an intimate
trade show for industry professionals (writers are invited too),
and an opportunity to taste the food from the 15 local businesses
and meet the fantastic people behind them. I went last year and
was blown away with the authenticity of the offerings. Check it
out at 2948 Folsom St., between 25th and 26th Streets. Wednesday,
March 14th, 2pm-7pm. Please RSVP to Caleb Zigas at caleb [at] lacocinasf
[dot] org.

Got
a hot tip? You know I’d love it (and you). Just reply
to this email!

MARCH
13, 2007 | SAN FRANCISCO There’s
not much that could inspire me to schlep all the way to Glen
Park except perhaps a bourbon convention, a hot Greek Aussie,
or the rumors of damned good pizza. ~GIALINA~ just
opened about a month ago (Jan. ’07), and I’m here to
report, the rumors are true: there’s gold in them there hills!
It’s about a stone’s throw from the Glen Park BART
station, but if you’ve got wheels, make sure you’ve
got your coordinates down, Maverick, because it’s crazy confusing
over there (my sh*t got hella lost). Print out the
map on the site, yo.

Chef
and owner Sharon Ardiana was formerly at Lime (AKA HQ for buckets
of mimosas on the weekend), but her time at Boulevard and Slow
Club are what surely sealed her love of seasonal ingredients.
Oh, and that Italian upbringing. She has opened a little spot
that is near and dear to her heart, even naming the place after
her nonna, Lina. It has a clean design, with charming little
personal touches. Huge family pictures adorn the walls: black
and white photos of grandpa with a mini-hat on for his birthday
(you gotta see it), or family posing in front of the leaning
tower of Pisa.

Service
is personal and friendly, and the place will be literally hopping.
Read: slammed. The neighborhood is in love with this joint. And
then there are people like me who don’t even live in
the ‘hood who will be clogging its precious tables. Yes,
it’s amore. You might need to cruise up the street for a
drink or a stroll before your table is ready, because it is shoebox-sized
(40 seats). Folks who live nearby are seriously lucky with the
takeout option.

Ardiana
has been working like mad with a friend on perfecting the recipe
for the dough, and with all the pizzerias opening in this town,
she has still managed to turn out a pie that is nothing like
the others. The toothsome crust is Neapolitan-style, and hits
just the right amount of chewy and moist, with a hearty cornicione
(try that on for size: it’s the lip around the edge of the
pizza, i.e. the crust) that you actually want to eat. Carb-phobics:
stay away. Hints of sour, and sweet, and toastiness. (She professes
to be a fan of the pizzas at Zuni and the Chez Panisse Cafe.) It
tastes homemade and looks handcrafted, and in spite of not having
a brick pizza oven, they are doing a nice job.

So
let’s get to the pies. Hands down, just like a good hooker,
the puttanesca ($11) left me begging for more. I’m gonna
be back for additional visits with that hot little number, let
me tell you. It’s not a pizza for everyone, but I find the
combination of dry-cured black olives, anchovies, capers, and chili
pure alchemy. Everything you need for an impassioned roll in the
hay is there. And what a sauce. Deep tomato flavor. Yes, I’d
like one hour alone with the pizza, thank you.

We also tried the tangy dandelion greens with sweet house-made
Italian sausage and Fontina ($13). I know, dandelion greens, like,
yum. I drizzled some chili oil on top and this pizza went to 11.
We customized another, the wild nettles with spring garlic and
pecorino (plus some provolone and Fontina) ($14), but instead of
the portobello mushrooms, Sharon was cool to swap in some pancetta
instead. The next morning I warmed up the few leftover slices,
poached an egg and voila, breakfast of champions. (Or pizzaholics.)

You
can also get a classic Margherita ($10), meatball ($13), or the
Atomica ($12) with mushrooms, red onions, mozz, and spicy chilies.
Gourmet goodies abound on the menu, like butternut squash, pecorino,
ricotta salata… you can even get an egg, anchovy, or prosciutto
added to your pizza. (Note to self: I totally should have ordered
the wild nettles pie with an egg.) Ardiana also does a roast of
the day, like pork or brisket. I had a Vulcan eye lock on the pizza,
however. (And no, I am not a Trekkie.)

Starters
include some juicy meatballs ($9), made with veal, beef, and
pork (the holy trinity?), and the salad of mixed chicories, arugula,
shaved egg, fennel and Italian dressing ($8/$14) really lets
the ingredients speak for themselves. When it comes to salad
dressing, I do like a light hand. And it’s presented in a
lovely Heath bowl. Nice!

The
wine list is all-Italian, with eleven types available by the
glass, quartino, or bottle. Yes, viva Italia. We started with
the Adami Bosco di Gica prosecco ($27/bottle)—thanks to
some friends (E + R!) at another table who sponsored our bottle!
It was a nice reminder how fab it is to have someone buy you
a glass of wine, or a drink. Or, bonus, a bottle. Super!

Our
chipper server steered us to the powerful Magliano Morellino
di Scansano ($34), which held up to the puttanesca for sure.
Mano a mano. For the record, it’s also the most expensive
bottle on the list, so it might have been a veiled up-sell, but
it was also strongly recommended. Fine.

Now,
dessert. Ardiana is some kind of pizza freak (high-five, sister),
because she has actually created a dessert pizza ($9). Pazza!
Think Nutella with crumbled amaretti on top and a dollop of mascarpone.
And because she’s all hooked up with the gourmand
set of SF, she has the only joint in town that features Bi-Rite
ice cream on the menu ($6). Hello honey lavender. She’s also
had the mint chocolate chip and brown butter pecan in there too.
But I’ll be back to try the homemade ices ($6). The ricotta
cheesecake ($7) was also lovely, with little hints of citrus.

So,
as expected, the gourmet hootenanny for three was not cheap.
But this is how we roll in SF. Truth be told, we could have done
with only two pizzas, but when you’re out with the tablehopper,
well, this is what happens. Lunch will be happening here soon.
And my return visit for some more hot puttanesca action.

Each
feature is a brief, informative and witty tribute to an amazing
specialty food, drink, food-related book or blog, or culinary
travel adventure. Water buffalo milk yogurt from rural Vermont? We’ll
tell you how it tastes, how to serve it and where to get it. Brewed
Taiwanese-tea lollipops on a rosemary twig? How about forest-foraging
for delectables (now that’s organic) in Colorado
with a chef who takes you back to his kitchen? TuttiFoodie tells
you about it—and more.

Sign
up today to celebrate our three-month anniversary and you just
might get a surprise: we’ll
send the first 25 people to subscribe to TuttiFoodie a small bottle
of artisan-gathered Hawaiian
black sea salt.

MARCH 13, 2007 | SAN FRANCISCO Raise those wineglasses: some folks are sure to have some stained
teeth this weekend during the ~RHONE RANGERS~ events.
Giddy up:

Saturday,
March 17, 6:30-10:30 pm: Gala barbecue, tasting and live auction
at the San Francisco Film Centre (the Presidio). Join
Rhone Ranger winemakers for a kick-off feast, celebration and
live auction. Eighteen winemakers will each host a table of ten
and will pour their handcrafted Rhone style wines. A live auction
with a unique, one-of-kind item donated by each winemaker will
cap off the evening. And the food? It’s catered by Union
Street Catering and includes platters of grilled lemon chicken
sausages and herb-grilled tri-tip, salad, grilled vegetables,
artisan breads, coffee and tea. The beautiful San Francisco Film
Centre on the Presidio is the venue. $75 per person, $140 per
couple. You can read
more, or buy
tickets.

March 18, 11:00 am-12 noon: Rhone varietal educational
seminar in the Golden Gate Room at Fort Mason Center.
Join six Rhone Ranger winemakers to taste and discuss "Boutique
Syrahs" and "Rhone Rosés." Seating
is limited to 120 participants. No seminar tickets will be sold
the day of the event. Seminar attendees get admitted to the tasting
beginning at 12 noon.

March 18, 1:30-4:00 pm: The Main Event! Sample
Rhone varietals from over 120 Rhone Ranger member wineries and
artisan food products from Bay Area producers. Festival Pavilion
doors open to consumers at 1:30pm. A trade and media tasting
takes place from 12 noon to 1:30 p.m. A silent auction runs from
12:00 noon until 3:30. New this year: "Meet the Winemakers" special
tasting area. Member winemakers will present 20-minute mini-tastings
for small groups on topics like single vineyard Syrah and vintage
variation. See the schedule available the day of the tasting.
Click here for
a list of participating wineries.

Growers Dinners
Mar. 21-May 16, 2007

Jack Falstaff
598 Second St.
Cross: Brannan St.
San Francisco, CA 94107

MARCH
13, 2007 | SAN FRANCISCO Another
series of ~JACK FALSTAFF GROWERS DINNERS~, where
you can savor a true taste of seasonal cooking are
kicking off.
Executive Chef Jonnatan Leiva (and total lover of the farmers’ market)
will be highlighting the products of some of his favorite local
producers, with pairings offered from Wine Director Gillian Balance.
This week starts with the mushroom lady!

Wednesday, March 21, Connie Green, owner of Wine Forest
Mushrooms Connie Green from Wine Forest Mushrooms (Napa),
an authority on edible mushrooms from all over the world, will
be on hand sharing her picks of the season.
$65 per person for 4 courses, or $85 with paired wines. Wednesday, April 18, Mariquita Farms Mariquita is a small family run farm located in Watsonville, CA,
and renowned for the excellent organic specialty vegetables, greens, strawberries
and herbs produced there.
$65 per person for 4 courses, or $85 with paired wines.

Wednesday, May 16, Howard Case Olive Oils Join proprietor Howard Case, distributor of fine imported
olive oils, as he teams up with Leiva for an evening of culinary
decadence that will showcase his exquisite oils.
$65 per person for 4 courses, or $85 with paired wines.

MARCH
13, 2007 | SAN FRANCISCO This year will be the first time Wine Enthusiast magazine hosts
its ~TOAST OF THE TOWN~ wine, restaurant and music
event in San Francisco. And tablehopper readers get a discount! (See
below.) There will be local live jazz, premium wines and spirits
from over 70 international producers, and culinary creations from
over 30 Bay Area restaurants, like Bix, Delfina, Myth, Michael
Mina, Bar Tartine, and PlumpJack Cafe.

The VIP tasting (from 5pm-10pm) offers a much smaller audience
a special selection of super premium Reserve and Estate wines.
For a list of participating wineries and spirit companies, click
here. The
larger Grand Tasting takes place from 7pm-10pm. Also included in
this event is a Silent Auction, with donations from the participating
wineries and restaurants to benefit America’s Second Harvest.
For both tastings, space is limited; tickets are sold on a first-come,
first-served basis.

Tablehopper readers: for your discount, be sure to enter the code:
THOP07.

MARCH
13, 2007 | SAN FRANCISCO Fashion,
people! Tim Gunn of Project Runway was seen at
Delfina.

I am more
than happy if you want to link to my reviews and content elsewhere (thanks,
glad you dig it), but republishing any part of them in any way, shape
or form is strictly prohibited until we talk first. Please take a look
at my Creative
Commons license for more detail.